Of all the genres served by local theatre, the classic Western is one that I can’t say that I’ve ever had much exposure to. In over a decade of reviewing shows in and around Milwaukee, I can’t say that I ever remember specifically seeing a traditional Hollywood-style cowboy onstage. The live theatre stage isn’t well-known for being terribly welcoming to sherifs or desperado or cowboy or . . . any of the types of characters who frequent classic cowboy westerns.
This coming October, local playwright J.J. Gatesman welcomes an old cowboy feel to an intimate local stage as the Brumder Mansion’s Milwaukee Entertainment Group presents his original play Jack of Hearts. It’s billed as a revenge play set in a futuristic steampunk dystopia “that emulates the old west.” The play centers itself around the denizens of the Heart Club: a brothel/saloon. There’s a conflict, “the mace gang, the capital, and the owner, Jack Heart. Themes of love, loyalty, humanity, and truth are tested, broken, and rebuilt.”
Though it’s clearly built on traditional themes and crafted around a standard model, it should be a genuine novelty for audiences to see this sort of thing not framed by a film or video screen. It should be equally novel for any actors interested in participating.
Auditions for Jack of Hearts take place Friday, Jun. 10 from 4:30 p.m.-6:30 p.m. and Saturday, Jun. 11 from 11 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. No appointment is necessary, but appointments are encouraged. To sign-up, email headshot, resume and availability to Amanda J. Hull at Production@milwaukeeentertainmentgroup.com. For more information, visit the Facebook events page for the auditions.
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